…well, just a twist of waxed paper actually. The leaf-shaped cookie dough was laid gently over twisted pieces of waxed paper. After the cookies baked and cooled the waxed paper was removed, so they’re a little more interesting than flat cookies.  The Sugar Cookies recipe is the same as used for Culture Cookies, which is listed at the end of the article. While you’re munching on the cookies you bake, browse back to the top and read the article!

Zinnias, 18H x 24W inches graphite on paper.

Using an eraser just as much as the graphite, the composition is roughed in to fill the page. Smudging creates dark tones – some are removed with different sized erasers, and some areas are detailed. Initial plans were to create a drawing with about 4 inches of grey tones bleeding into a colorful central square to be drawn and painted with watercolor pencils, similar to Chrysanthemums, with borders more defined, but I like this one without colors. Plans always need to change according to what the results are dictating.

Deciduous Forest – Washington State USA – 12H x 16W inches watercolors on paper, sage green mat

Thumbnails below: 1. resist medium applied, dried and first paint application 2. peeling off the dried resist after painting dark hues of sap green 3. stage 02, after peeled off resist medium, before more paint 4. an idea occurred to use the pulled off rubber pieces as 3D effects in future paintings, probably best on canvas.
A while back, I had visitors attending a show of mine peel off the rubberized medium in the same fashion, revealing the flowers on “Flowering Shavingbrush Tree”.

Flamboyant Tree Flowers and Seed Pods – Chapala, Mexico –  9H x 12W inches oil pastels on paper, white mat

Work details: 1. applying resist medium 2. working with the challenge of a limited palette, watercolors were also dripped down the page. Tomball watercolor pen adds more details.

Birch Stand, 12H x 16W inches watercolors on 120 lb cold pressed 100% cotton paper. Framed size 22H x 26W inches.

Fairy Lake Sumac – Sumac bushes during Fall, Fairy Lake BC Canada, 16H x 20W inches with mat, oil pastels on 140 lb W/C paper.
This piece has a base of watercolor crayons, which I hadn’t heard of before and was excited to try. The crayon colors were weak though, and they do not paint well either, so oil pastels were layered on top with areas scratched away using fingernails and pottery tools.

Fields of Flax, Rowley, Alberta Canada,  12H x 16W inches watercolors on paperpreliminary study for larger acrylics painting

The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas, Stone walkway on the grounds, 15H x 22W inches watercolors on 80 lb premium acid free paper, white mat.

 Big Leaf Maple near Port Renfrew, Vancouver Island, BC Canada, 12H x 16W inches watercolors on 140 lb 100% cotton paper. Framed size 22H x 26W inches.

Transplanting Daisies, 36W x 12L x 3D inches graphite and acrylics on canvas, narrow trim. Details of work in progress: